A VO YAGE TOW ARDS TH E SOUTH POLE,
The South coaft of Mallicollo, from the S. E. end to the S.
W. Cape, is luxuriantly clothed with wood, and other productions
of Nature, from the fea-fhore to the very fummits
of the hills. To the N. W. of the Cape the country is lefs
woody, but more agreeably interfperfed with lawns, fome
of which appeared to be cultivated. The fummits of the
hills feemed barren; and the higheft lies between Port
Sandwich and the S. W. Cape. Farther North, the land
falls infenfibly lower, and is lefs covered with wood. I believe
it is a very fertile ifland, and well inhabited; for we faw fmoke
by day, and fire by night, in all parts o f it.
Next morning at fun-rife, we found ourfelves nearly in
the middle of the PafTage, the N. W. end of Mallicollo extending
from S. 30° Eaft, to S. 58° Weft; the land to the
North from N. 70° Weft to N. 40 Eaft; and the Ifle of Lepers
bearing N. 30° Eaft, diftant eleven or twelve leagues. We
now made fail, and fleered N. by E., and afterwards North,
along the Eaft coaft of the northern land, with a fine breeze
at S. E. We found that this coaft, which at firft appeared to be
continued, was compofed of feveral low woody ifies, the
moftof them of fmall extent, except the fouthernmoft, which,
on account of the day, I named St. Bartholomew. It is fix
or feven leagues in circuit, and makes the N. E. point of
Bougainville’s PafTage. At noon the breeze began to flacken.
We were at this time, between two and three miles from
the land, and obferved in latitude 150 33', the Ifle of Lepers
bearing from E. by N. to E. by S., diftant feven leagues; and
an high bluff-head, at which the coaft we were upon feemed
to terminate, N. N. W. 1 W., diftant ten or eleven leagues ;
but from the mail head we could fee land to the Eaft. This
we j udged to be an ifland, and it bore N. by W. ~ W.
As
As we advanced to N. N. W., along a fine coaft covered M k
with woods, we perceived low land that extended off from <---,— <
r 1 1 . Wednef. 24; the bluff-head towards the ifland above mentioned, but did
not feem to join it. It was my intention to have gone
through the channel, but the approach of night made me
lay it afide, and fleer without the ifland. During the afternoon
we paffed fome fmall ifies lying under the fhore ; and
obferved fome projecting points of unequal height, but
were not able to determine whether or no they were connected
with the main land. Behind them was a ridge of hills
which terminated at the bluff-head. There were cliffs, in
fome places of the coaft, and white patches, which we
judged to be chalk. At ten o’clock, being the length of the
ifle which lies off the head, we fhortened fail, and fpent
the night making fhort boards.
At day-break on the 25th, we were on the North fide of Thuriaar zs*
the ifland (which is of a moderate height, and three leagues
in circuit), and fleered Weft for the bluff-head along the
low land under it. At fun-rife an elevated coaft came in
fight beyond the bluff-head, extending to the North as far
as N. W. by W. After doubling the head we found the land
tO- trend South, a little eafterly, and to form a large deep
bay, bounded on the Weft by the coaft juft mentioned.
Every thing confpired to make us believe this was the
Bay of St. Philip and St. Jago, difcovered by Quiros in
1606. To determine this point, it was neceffary to proceed
farther up ; for at this time we faw no end to it.
The wind being at South, we were obliged to ply, and firft
ftretched over for the Weft fhore, from which we were three
miles at noon, when our latitude was 140 55' 30" South,
. Vol. II. N longitude